Need to preserve traditional handicrafts, folk arts

Artistes playing musical instruments in Uttarakhand will also be encouraged by the state government. Chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said this during his visit to the national handloom expo organised by the Uttarakhand Handloom and Handicrafts Development Council at Parade Ground here on Monday.

He said that it was a matter of happiness that even the new generation and the educated people are also taking interest in traditional folk arts and with this we will be able to preserve our heritage and folk art. He said that the national handloom expo is a platform through which women self-help groups, cooperative societies, craftsmen and weavers of remote areas of the state are able to connect their products with big market. This type of event provides the participating weavers and other craftsmen an opportunity to share experiences.

The chief minister also honoured Madhu Gupta, Dinesh Lal, Murty Mistry and Raghuveer Singh Khati with the Crafts Ratna Award for outstanding work in the field of handicrafts, wood art and traditional art. It is worth mentioning here that the national handloom expo is being organised in the state for last 12 years. In this year’s national handloom expo, 150 stalls of 15 states have been set up, out of which 45 stalls are from Uttarakhand.